Revelations

Game #1

Went to help Mason with a vampire nest, but ended up walking into a Djinn trap. I hallucinated Death and then somehow ended up waking up next to a blonde woman in a room. I teleported back to the barn where I had last seen Mason…he was gone, no traces left behind, which meant I had been out for a long while.

I went back to the room that I woke up in and tracked down the blonde woman, she was talking to a Warlock in the main part of a church. The Warlock, Edrick, needed our help…a Reaper’s and an Angel’s. Turns out the blonde woman, Aira, had been framed by heaven for letting Eve out. Edrick explained that word had also gotten out about Death not backing me anymore and that I was a banished Reaper…I suppose it was only a matter of time. Edrick asked for our help pulling a soul out of Purgatory and putting it in his…his sister. He told Aira and I that he could make us powerful enough to stop the Mother of Monsters, powerful enough for Aira to clear her name and powerful enough for me to save Mason…who he said is being held prisoner by Djinn to try and bate/capture me.

I’m not sure that I trust the Warlock as of yet, but if what he says about his sister is true then she was killed unjustly and I can’t in good conscious not help her. Edrick also has promised to help me save Mason, something I can’t take lightly either. I was ready to agree to his terms when Edrick told Aira and I that there was a very heavy price involved in the spells he would need…souls. Consuming souls. I may be a terrible Reaper, but even I understand how very wrong that is. I won’t shy away from taking a life, life is fleeting, but a soul…those are eternal and meant to be so. Consuming one of those is simply not done. I negotiated with Edrick to the best deal I could and after he took some time thinking about it agreed to the terms. Hopefully Aira and I will be able to help with the spells with the minimal soul consumption…are at least stick to consuming souls that are truly depraved.

At Edrick’s behest we had two souls to collect to start with, an angel and a demon. I offered Aira the choice as to which we went after first as I could tell hunting another angel didn’t sit well with her. As expected she choose to pursue the demon first, and if I’m honest, I was relieved. We teleported to a bar to find the first soul on our list and after a quick fight Edrick was able to consume her in a spell. On our way out a very powerful Demon still sat at the bar despite the gunfire and fight that had just taken place. He seemed more concerned with drinking than anything else. Edrick must have sensed something about him as he urged us to go speak with him, one look at Aira and I could tell she wanted no part with conversing with a demon so I made my way over to him. I don’t mind handling the “dirty work”, a Reaper, even if I am a banished one, has a different outlook I suppose.

The demon said his name was Cain … as in Able and Cain, the first murderer. Lance Cain to be exact, the son of Cain. He bore the First Hunter mark and seemed very uninterested in us. Edrick mentioned needing a demon soul for the binding spell that involved us…I know Aira is not fond of the idea, but better this First Hunter than a true demon. At least Cain was cursed by birth not by choice. With Edrick’s help we were able to convince Cain that with witchcraft the affect of his mark could be lessened and he agreed to join us for the time being.

Returning to the church we left Cain there while Aira, Edrick and I went in pursuit of the angel soul we needed to consume next. Thankfully upon finding the angel we learned she was dealing under the table with demons and I could tell Aira was more comfortable delivering justice as a result….perhaps I didn’t give Edrick enough credit. The angel put up a strong fight, but I have all but mastered telekinesis and was able to keep her pinned while Edrick did his spell. Aira had to heal him mid way through, but we were able to execute our plan…and the angel…without botching things. The three of us returned to the church and Edrick got things around for the binding spell. It seemed to be working, looking at his runes he’s clearly very old and very capable, but our three souls wasn’t enough and the soul power began to burn through us. Cain stepped in and was able to help channel the energy, binding him to the three of us as well.

After the ritual Edrick said that the binding would likely help Cain mitigate his curse, but that he would also look into magic that would “fool” the mark. I asked Cain to teach me fighting, he seemed rather pissed about it, but once I took several hits without complaining began to actually teach me. I suppose by his nature I had to prove I was at least somewhat capable before he would teach me?

All in all, I’m rather relieved that if this whole situation had to come to fruition, that I am bound: to an angel who truly seems to want to do right, to a Warlock that loves his family and to a demon who simply wants a second chance.

Things of note

received artifact items from Edrick, thanks bro

Cain recrafted my broken weapon into a sickle

Aira asked if by scythe was broken, I told her yes and revealed that Death himself had broken it and banished me

Game #2

Cain and I trained outside the church for a bit while Aira watched. Aside from Cain’s display of “I’m better than you” he was actually a very good teacher. I think I’ll be able to really hone my skills if he’s willing to continue to train with me. I believe, with what we’ve been pulled into, that we’ll all need to hone our skills. Especially since banishment left me rather weak.

While we were training Gabriel, the arch angel, came down. Said he’s found us by looking the places “he couldn’t see”, meaning that somehow Edric’s wards against heaven aren’t as effective as we’d thought. Although he is the angel of knowledge so perhaps he had another way? Gabriel said he was taking Aira with him to discuss the events that had happened with her. I tried to get him talking a bit, hoping there would be a way to convince him to leave, or perhaps Edric would step in and banish him, but Gabriel is an arch angel and his will, this time, couldn’t be stopped. He offered a piece of advice though…and from what I could tell he was genuine in his want to help us; and then he took Aira. He did seem to actually want the truth of the situation from her and not to hurt her. I know she’s innocent and am hoping this conversation with Gabriel will lead to an ally…but if I’m wrong…we’ll have to find a way to retrieve her from heaven.

There was nothing to do after Gabriel had taken Aira, but continue. We decided to follow up on the lead that Gabriel proved…head to a bar, there would be a man sitting alone, we’ll need him. Edric was resting so Cain and I left to go to the bar, a place called Vanity. Cain seemed familiar with the establishment and we were able to get in easily enough. After briefly looking around it was obvious who Gabriel intended us to meet. A man, sitting alone in the back, radiating with power. Cain and I approached him and talked with him a bit. Found out he is a warlock named Marcus Solomon and knows very powerful soul magic. Fortunate. Perhaps Gabriel did send a bit of luck our way. But before we were able to leave with Marcus a man recognized Cain and punched him…..I don’t remember much after that, until the fog cleared and Cain had me wrapped up. Turns out training with him, learning his skill, also transferred his curse. Or at least part of it. When the man hit Cain, I blacked out, letting the blood lust of the mark take over, and killed three men before Cain could stop me. At least Marcus seemed to understand we were intentionally hurting people and agreed to leave with us.

We took him to his place and told him everything, something Edric would later reprimand me about, but Marcus seemed to have some understanding for soul magic and told us there was a different way to accomplish our goal. We don’t have to consume souls, we can bind with them. Marcus agreed to meet with Edric, but the two have a history…or at least have poor opinions of one another based on reputation and Edric was a bit reluctant to meet, he did agree and we all went to Marcus’ bookshop to discuss the matter. Marcus pulled his wife, Katherine, into the situation and they told us how we could bond with the souls to access their power versus consuming them. Edric agreed to give this a shot since it’s what Aira and I wanted. The Solomon’s can help us track viable souls and asked the criteria for the type of soul we’d want to bind to. Based on Aira and I’s last conversation, I was able to establish that both of us would want to bind ourselves to as good of people as we could…which, since we’re looking for supernatural beings, isn’t a small ask, but the Solomon’s agreed and began the search. I asked if they would track down a Djinn first as I’m hoping the Djinn will help me with Mason’s situation. They located one in Helena, Montana and Cain and I went to track him down.

Turns out the Djinn was trying to lead a somewhat solitary life, out in the woods, off grid to be left alone and not hurt people. He only fed when people wondered into the woods and even then, didn’t kill them simply made them sick for a few days. I appealed to his sense of honor and good character and he eventually agreed. I’m not sure this convincing thing is something I’m actually good at. Surprising, since I never had an issue with getting souls to cross when I reaped them. Perhaps getting people to agree to teamwork is something different.

We returned to the Solomon’s bookstore with the Djinn, Reese, in tow and discussed our next move. Reese agreed to help infiltrate the Chicago Djinn family to try and track Mason for me and the Solomon’s said we had to have 11 total different supernatural souls to bind with…the binding only able to take place once all 11 were present. Confiding in Marcus that I struggled with the negotiations he suggested that I track down the Siren soul next so she could help with recruitment. I agreed and after Katherine did a locator spell I went on my way. Cain stayed behind to get Reese set up to start his infiltration.

I arrived in Nashville, TN at the location that the siren was tracked to. Walking into an upscale bar I could hear music…I don’t think I’ve listened to music in a very long time, but what stopped me in my tracks was his voice. It was familiar, too familiar, and I instantly wondered just how powerful this siren was to affect me like that until I saw his face….the hair was perhaps shorter and he was slightly older than the Akecheta I knew, but all the same it was him. Or at least a genetically similar version. Surely fate wouldn’t put him in my path now?

I couldn’t help but listen to his song, and then his next song…and his next. As his set was wrapping up I got a drink for him at the bar, a honey lagger with real honey….something that Akecheta used to enjoy. I was going to wait for the siren to head out and try to approach him when he was alone, but he walked to the bar and I simply couldn’t help myself. Perhaps coming alone was not a good idea. I materialized and handed him his drink. He was surprised, but watched me with familiarity…perhaps he felt it as well? or was he simply playing me? I told him who and what I was and that I knew what he was and needed his help. He told me his name was Gregory and offered to buy me dinner while we talked.

We ate together, an italian place, and he easily agreed to help me…in fact it seemed like a given and that the dinner wasn’t to hear my request, but rather just to be with each other. I ended up telling him my entire history with Akecheta and Death and everything else. He shared how he became a Siren and how he came to Tennessee. Talking with him, being so near, it was both unnerving and euphoric at the same time. I haven’t felt surprised or flustered in so long, I assumed I couldn’t feel those things anymore. Perhaps when we all soul bound and I gained the ability to taste food my propensity for emotion has also returned. Regardless of the reason I relished in being near him after so long. He must have felt some of the same and asked to spend more time just us before going back to the group. We went to an theatre and watched an old movie. He tried to kiss me….something I haven’t shared with another man aside from Akecheta…and I began to wonder if perhaps Gregory was playing me. Cain and Marcus both had literally just reprimanded me for being too quick to trust, too quick to reveal our plans and information…and this man was a Siren after all. Perhaps he knew exactly what to do to get me hooked on him. I could tell I offended him and we left the movie early to go to his apartment so he could pack and we could be on our way. I couldn’t stop myself and held him hand as we left.

At Gregory’s apartment we talked a bit more while he packed and he eventually convinced me I was a poor food source for him since I lacked the strong emotions others are quicker to feel and that he wouldn’t waste his time on me if he didn’t also feel a pull. I suppose I should have been offended, but I was relieved. I ended up letting him kiss me….perhaps it was selfish, but it was nice to pretend that we simply were together and the world wasn’t falling apart. I may have spent too much time “recruiting” him and so we teleported to the location Cain gave me where the recruits could gather.

Game #3

Gregory and I arrived at the location that Cain gave me, which ended up being a very large apartment on the top level of sky building, what they call a skyscraper. We were only there momentarily when Aira appeared. She’d been returned…or rather, after speaking with her, she escaped Heaven. Turns out the “proto angel” is of arch angel power and helped her escape. It also appears they confirmed the Nephalim’s existence and involvement in releasing Lilith. Very unfortunate, but hopefully the Nephalim didn’t participate willingly and isn’t at fault for what happened.

I filled Aira in on what happened while she was gone and we decided to set out for more people to bind with in hopes of increasing our power sooner rather than later. We narrowed it down to trying to find a suitable werewolf and vampire next. The werewolf, we came to find out was named Lucas, was in a little human town. After Aira tracked his sent we stalked him to the northern local woods of the area. He confronted us almost as soon as we were in range and told us to stay out of his way, he was tracking the person who was responsible for killing his pack…a Hunter. Knowing what I know about Hunters I knew there was more than one side to the story…I couldn’t let the Werewolf kill the Hunter, so Aira and I tracked the Hunter down. He was wounded in a cave and we teleported him back to Chicago where Aira treated his wounds and we discussed what happened with the were’s. We got his side of it and returned to Ohio? to talk with Lucas. The Hunter was infected and I began to suspect that it was a possibility that he was actually our soul target, but we wanted to be thourough so we went back to talk with Lucas. Which was a good thing, as turns out Lucas is a pure blood and his pack only killed to protect themselves. We negotiated with Lucas and agreed to let him have the Hunter as long as he didn’t kill him. Knowing that Lucas intends to bind the Hunter to himself I resolved myself to the outcome. Cain seems to believe that the hunter will forgive us once he’s accustom to his new powers, as I’m sure Lucas is going to let him turn, but time will only tell if the hunter will be a willing ally or Lucas’ slave.

Reapers don’t sleep, nor do Angels or Demons, and while the rest of our group seemed to need R&R, Aira, Cain and I decided to push on and pursue the eligible vampire that the Solomon’s had uncovered. The vampire was relatively easy to track, but there was carnage in it’s wake…did the Solomon’s make a mistake? We found the nest held up in an old abandoned house and Cain proposed a plan to draw the one awake vampire out, while Aira and I went through the back of the house and cleared out the rest.

Unfortunately we got spotted and the two nesting vampires attacked Aira and I. We were able to subdue them with telekenisis and the outside metal fencing, but were rather surprised when two demons smoked from the vampires…they were using them for vessels. That is not something I was aware that demon’s could do, and it will require more research, as Demons possessing other supernatural types is troubling indeed. Cain had the third vampire, and hopefully the one we were here for, out front. If not, the other two were very dead now so the third vampire would have to do regardless.

Once her demon parasite was removed, Melissa, seemed more than willing to join. Her nest had been a group of “vegan” vampires and had not, at least before the demons, tasted human blood. The four of us went back to Cain’s apartment and began preparations for the binding ritual to make the werewolf and vampire officially part of the group.

Now you feel no rain,
For each of you are shelter to the other.
Now you feel no cold,
For each of you will warm the other.
Now there is no loneliness,
For each of you are with the other.
You are two bodies,
But only one life is before you.
And may it be good and long upon the earth.